Manufacture of artificial leather.



UNITED STATES iatented August 25,. 1903;.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES GAUTIER, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,957, dated August25, 1903.

Application filed November 2 3, 1 9 01.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, GEORGES GAUTIER, physician, of 3 Place du TheatreFrangais, in the city of Paris, Republic of France, have invented newand useful Improvements in and Connected with the Manufacture ofArtificial preferably scraps or waste, such as the hide of the head andlegs, otherwise unutilizable that is to say, the tripes-to the exclusionof all old waste tanned leather.

To prepare this new product, I take raw hides that have not beensubjected to any treatment, and, having removed the hair by any suitablemeans, I subject theinto a prolonged liming, which has the effect ofcausing the hides to swell. When the hide has been subjected to theaction of the lime for about twenty days, it commences todisintegrate-that is to say, the gelatinous, glutinous, or other matterwhich unites the fibers is softened, and thus prepared for the divisionof the fibers by the tearing operation, to be described hereinafter.When the liming has attained a sufficient degree, the hide is carefullywashed in water in order to remove all traces of lime, the presence ofwhich would be unsuitable for the employment of sulfates. The finaleffect of the extra liming is to give to the new product great solidity.The hide thus prepared is out into small pieces in the form of narrowstrips and the strips subjected to a disintegrating operation for thepurpose of separating the fibers one from another in such a manner thatthe fibers are not broken, but are preserved intact throughout theirentire length. The fibers are thus brought to a skein-like formation inadmixture with the other ingredients of the skin, which are in apaste-like condition. This result is obtained by the employment of aseparator or disintegrator, the surface of which is covered with teethor projections which separate the fibers without breaking them. Afterthis unraveling or tearing apart of the Serial No. 83,409- (Nospecimens.)

: fibers the fibrous paste-like mixture obtained is subjected to anoperation the objectof which is to flatten out the fibers, at the sametime intimately mixing all the portions of the paste. This operation,which may be effected by subjecting the material to the action of twoheavy millstones, must be prolonged a sufficient length of time toobtain a perfect homogeneity of the paste, and generally lasts ahalfhour. At the time the paste is being subjected to the action of themillstones any suitable coloring-matter, as oxid of chrome or alizarin,may be added. At the same time chemical agents may be added, the objectof which is to communicate to the product more or less hardness orsuppleness. Thus if it is desired to obtain a hard product hydrated oxidof chromeis added to the paste while it is being worked, while if it iswished to ob tain the new product in the form of a supple band alcoholis added. The oXid of chrome may serve both as a coloring-matter and asa hardening agent. The product may be rendered'impermeable to water byadding formol during this operation. The material, colored or not, isthen submerged in a solution of sulfate of zinc, tested to from 2 to 4Baum, where it is allowed to remain for two days, being stirred atintervals'every two hours, forexample. The action of the sulfate of zincis to precipitate and solidify the gelatinous and albuminous matters,(preserved by absence of the tanning of the hides,) the presence ofwhich in a hardened state in the final product assures to the latter aperfect homogeneity, an intimate adhesion of the fibers, greatcompactness, and absolute imputresoibility and impermeability to grease.The hardness of the product obtained increases with the concentration ofthe sulfateof-zinc bath. The material is then spread on cloths, if it isdesired to obtain the final product in the form of bands or plates, thethickness of which may be varied as desired, or it is molded to anydesired shape. The last operation to which the material thus preparedand molded or spread out is subjected is desiccation. The drying shouldbe slowly effected and is preferably accomplished by applying pressureand then draining off and evaporating the moisture expelled by thepressure, these operations being repeated a number of times untilthefinal product is thoroughly dry. The pressure may be applied by ahydraulic press, the plates or hands of material being removed from thepress from time to time and subjected to a current of warm air (thetemperature of which should not exceed centigrade) to evaporate themoisture squeezed to the surface by the pressure. When the material ismolded in blocks, desiccation may be hastened by mounting the block on arapidly-rotating spindle in oacuo. The moisture or liquid in the blockis thus by centrifugal force projected from the center toward theperiphery. Drying of the exterior layers of the block more than thecenter is thus avoided; but effective desiccation in vacuo can beeffected without imparting any movement to the blocks.

When the new product is to be obtained in the form of bands,the lattercan be laminated, left in the air to dry, and then passed into afiattening-machine,one of the rollers of which is heated.

The product obtained by means of this process is distinguished fromthose already known by numerous characteristics. It is, first,excessively hard and resistant, much more so than tanned naturalleather, can be planed, carved, out, and perforated with the greatestfacility,these properties being due to the presence of the animal fiberrunning through the material. Screws and nails hold Well in thisproduct, and it can be polished. Its texture is uniform, very dense andcompact, this homogeneity being due to the presence of the gelatinousand albuminous matters,which are eliminated from ordinary leather by thetanning, while in the present case they are preserved and solidified bythe sulfate of zinc. From the presence of these matters anotherimportant advantage of the product results t'. 6., its absoluteimputrescibility and its impermeability, especially to grease, oils, andfatty substances,in whichitcan besubmerged for a long time withoutdeteriorating, while other artificial leathers, as is known, deterioratevery rapidly in oil. A portion of a machine--a toothed wheel, forexample-cut from a plate of the new product can therefore Without injurybe greased in the same manner as a metallic wheel. Furthermore, platesof the new product may be caused to adhere to each other very readily ata moderate temperature by theapplication of heavy pressure. A roller orcylinder formed by the superposition of several plates or disks thusunited is as resistant as if it were formed of a single piece.

What is claimed is- 1. The process of manufacturing artificial materialanalogous to leather consisting in subjecting raw untanned hides orparts thereof to the action of lime for a time suficient to soften theglutinous, gelatinous albuminous or other matter connecting the animalfibers thereby facilitating separation of the latter, then separatingthe fibers by disinte grating or tearing apart the hide, then fiatteningout the fibers at the same time intimately mixing the same with theother pastelike constituents and compacting or condensing the material,then subjecting the material to the action of a suitable bath tosolidify the gelatinous and albuminous matters, and finally subjectingthe material to high pressure and desiccating the same.

2. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in cutting raw untanned hides or parts thereof into smallpieces or strips, subjecting the same to the action of lime for a timesufficient to soften the glutinous, gelatinous, albuminous or othermatter connecting the animal fibers thereby facilitating separation ofthe latter, then separating the fibers by disintegrating or tearingapart the hide, then flattening out the fibers at the same timeintimately mixing the same with the other paste-like constituents andcompacting or condensing the material, then subjecting the material tothe action of a suitable bath to solidify the gelatinous and albuminousmat ters, and finally subjecting the material to high pressure anddesiccating the same.

8. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in subjecting raw untanned hides or parts thereof to theaction of lime for a time sufficient to soften the glutinous,gelatinous, albuminous or other matter connecting the animal fiberstherebyfacilitatingseparationofthelatter, then separating the fibers bydisintegrating or tearing apart the hide, then flattening out the fibersat the same time intimately mixing the same with the other paste-likeconstituents and compacting or condensing the material, adding asuitable coloring-matter during or before the mixing, then subjectingthe material to the action of a suitable bath to solidify the gelatinousand albuminous matters, and finally subjecting the material to highpressure and desiccating the same.

4. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in subjecting raw untanned hides or parts thereof to theaction of lime for a time sufficient to soften the glutinous, gelatinousalbuminous or other matter connecting the animal fibers therebyfacilitating separation of the latter, then separating the fibers bydisintegrating or tearing apart the hide, then flattening out the fibersat the same time intimately mixing the same with the other paste-likeconstituents and compacting or condensing the material, adding asuitable agent for impart ing the desired flexibility or rigidity to thefinal product, then subjecting the material to the action of a suitablebath to solidify the gelatinous and albuminous matters, and finallysubjecting the material to high pressure and desiccating the same.

5. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in subjecting raw untanned hides or parts there-.

' thereby facilitating separation of the latter,

of to the action of lime for a time sufficient to soften the glutinous,gelatinous, albuminous or other matter connecting the animal fibers thenseparating the fibers by disintegrating or tearing apart the hide, thefibers, at the same time intimately mixing the same With. the otherpaste-like constituents and compactingor condensing the material, addinga hardening agent, then subjecting the material to the action of asuitable bath to solidify the gelatinous and albuminous matters, andfinally subjecting the material to high pressure and desiccating thesame.

6. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in subjecting raw untanned hides or parts thereof to theaction of lime for a time sufficient to soften the glutinous,gelatinous, albuminous or other matter connecting the animal fibersthereby facilitating separation of the latter, then separating thefibers by disintegrating or tearing apart thehide, then flattening outthe fibers at the same time intimately mixing the same with the otherpaste-like constituents and compacting or condensing the material,adding oxid of chrome, then subjecting the material to the action of asuitable bath to solidify the gelatinous and albuminous matters, andfinally subjecting the materialto high pressure and desiccating thesame.

7. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in subjecting raw untanned hides or parts there of to theaction of lime for a time sufficient to soften the glutinous,gelatinous, albuminous I, or other matter connecting the animal fibersthereby facilitating separation of the latter,

, the same with the other then separating the fibers by disintegratingor tearing apart the hide, then flattening out the fibers at the sametime intimately mixing paste-like constituents and compacting orcondensing the material, then subjecting the material to the acthenflattening out .or tearing apart the hide, the fibers at the same timeintimately mixing tion of a sulfate-of-zinc bath to solidify thegelatinous and albuminous matters, and finally subjecting the materialto high pressure and desiccating the same.

8. The process of manufacturing artificial material analogous to leatherconsisting in subjecting raw untanned hides or parts thereof to theaction of lime for a time sufficient to soften the glutinous,gelatinous, albuminous or other matter connecting the animal fibersthereby facilitating separation of the latter, then washing to removeall traces of lime, then separating the fibers by disintegrating thenflattening out the same with the other paste-like constituent andcompacting or condensing the material, then subjecting the material tothe action of a suitable bath to solidify the ge1atinous and albuminousmatters,and finally subjecting the material to high pressure anddesiccating the same.

9. A new artificial material analogous to leather composed ofgelatinous, albuminous and fibrous constituents, obtained bydisintegration of raw untanned hides or portions thereof withoutmaterial breaking or shortening of the fibers and then solidifying'thegelatinous and albuminous matters in a suitable bath, said materialbeing of a fibrous uniform homogeneous texture hardand resistant, denseand. compact, capable of being readily planed, carved, out and polished,and T impermeable and imputrescible particularly to greasy, oily andfatty substancestowhich the material may be subjected for a long timeWithout deteriorating.

In testimony whereof'I have signed this specification in the presence oftwosubsoribing witnesses.

' Witnesses:

ANTONIO FERNANDO DE LA OALnn,

J. ALLIsoN BOWEN.

GEORGES GAUTIERf

